Paul-Sebastian Ungureanu <ungureanupaulsebastian@xxxxxxxxx> writes: > +static void set_env_if(const char *key, const char *value, int *given, int bit) > +{ > + if ((*given & bit) || getenv(key)) > + return; /* nothing to do */ > + setenv(key, value, 0); > + *given |= bit; > +} We call setenv(3) with overwrite=0 but we protect the call with a check for existing value with getenv(3), which feels a bit like an anti-pattern. Wouldn't the following be simpler to follow, I wonder? if (!(*given & bit)) { setenv(key, value, 1); *given |= bit; } The only case these two may behave differently is when '*given' does not have the 'bit' set but the environment 'key' already exists. The proposed patch will leave 'bit' in '*given' unset, so when a later code says "let's see if author_ident is explicitly given, and complain otherwise", such a check will trigger and cause complaint. On the other hand, the simplified version does not allow the "explicitly-given" bits to be left unset, so it won't cause complaint. Isn't it a BUG() if *given lacks 'bit' when the corresponding environment variable 'key' is missing? IOW, I would understand an implementation that is more elaborate than the simplified one I just gave above were something like if (!(*given & bit)) { if (getenv(key)) BUG("why does %s exist and no %x bit set???", key, bit); setenv(key, value, 0); *given |= bit; } but I do not quite understand the reasoning behind the "check either the bit, or the environment variable" in the proposed patch. > +void prepare_fallback_ident(const char *name, const char *email) > +{ > + set_env_if("GIT_AUTHOR_NAME", name, > + &author_ident_explicitly_given, IDENT_NAME_GIVEN); > + set_env_if("GIT_AUTHOR_EMAIL", email, > + &author_ident_explicitly_given, IDENT_MAIL_GIVEN); > + set_env_if("GIT_COMMITTER_NAME", name, > + &committer_ident_explicitly_given, IDENT_NAME_GIVEN); > + set_env_if("GIT_COMMITTER_EMAIL", email, > + &committer_ident_explicitly_given, IDENT_MAIL_GIVEN); > +} Introducing this function alone without a caller and without function doc is a bit unfriendly to future callers, who must be careful when to call it, I think. For example, they must know that it will be a disaster if they call this before they call git_ident_config(), right? > + > static int buf_cmp(const char *a_begin, const char *a_end, > const char *b_begin, const char *b_end) > {